Culloden Battlefield: the visitor experience in the context of the experience economy model

Based on an interpretivist (or constructionist) perspective, this paper supplements and advances recent discussion on the dark tourism experience by effectively characterising the tourism experience at Culloden Battlefield through the lens of the Experience Economy Model (EEM), and in doing so, develop and advance theoretical knowledge of the visitor experience at battlefields. The study found that 'battlefield' experiences came from the psychological and emotional environment created by the dark tourism site which generated feelings of enjoyment rather than entertainment. This paper therefore suggests an amendment of the EEM to reflect the importance of edutainment rather than entertainment at the site. The study also found that visitors were either subtly seeking surprises or anticipating the possibility of surprises both before and during their visit, reflecting the need for management to deliberately facilitate (unexpected) surprises that go 'above-and-beyond' visitor expectations. The dramatised story of the battle captivated visitors as active participants, with the multimedia providing opportunities for the literal interpretation of the Culloden story. Since visitors came from divergent backgrounds with different needs, expectations, and levels of education, managers should be mindful that the narrative should enrich visitors' cultural competence or spark their interest in the story when shaping their experience.